FrancenDanses

[Estreiiita]

Last Monday I saw a very interesting programme of short pieces in Theater des Champs Elysee in Paris. It lasted just for 1 hour 15 min and included:

1) Giselle: Acte II- pas de deux (Giselle et Albrecht). The dancers from the Ballet de l'Opera National du Rhin Ana Enriquez and Avery Reiners danced very well but the modern choreography of Martin Chaix didn't impress me at all.

2) Gravite (Extraits) performed by dancers from Ballet Preljocaj (Mirea Delogu, Antoine Dubois, Clara Freschel, Baptiste Coissieu (choreography of Angelin Preljocaj) - a beautiful piece showing a great capability of the dancers both in balance, acrobatic lifts, pilates-similar movements and in general creating a very nice impression.

3) Softly, as I leave you - piece for 2 dancers, performed by Helene Bernadou and Kylian Tilagone from Ballet d'Opera National de Bordeaux, choreography of Sol Leon and  Paul Lightfoot - somewhat dark piece, starting with the brusque movements of a woman restricted by the box she's kept in.

4) On the Nature of Daylight - duo performed by Ana Enriquez and Avery Reiners from Ballet d'Opera National du Rhin, choreography of David Dawson - light, beautiful, very positive.

5) Who cares? - last piece performed by 4 etoiles (Dorothee Gilbert, Hannah O'Neill, Valentine Colasante and Mathieu Ganio), chorepgraphy of George Balanchine to the music of Gershwin : absolutely joyful, a pleasure to watch, and most of alI I liked Hannah O'Neill, she especially was superb!

 Theater des Champs-Elysees is very much worth of checking: it will host Norwegian ballet, Boston ballet, the ballet about Audrey Hepburn and, I'm sure, many other fine performances!

Edited March 14 by Estreiiita
Spelling mistake

[Emeralds]

I do like On The Nature of Daylight. Who Cares? and Leon & Lightfoot's work!

Edited March 14 by Emeralds
Info now supplied after edit, making question unnecessary

[Estreiiita]

Oh, I'm so sorry, I somehow managed to publish just the contents of the programme which I intended  to write about!

It was a wonderful programme in Paris, in Theatre des Champs-Elysees, last Monday and Tuesday!

[Emeralds]

Thank you for editing, @Estreiiita. That sounds like a varied and really interesting programme for the audience, and not the typical solos and pas de deux format. I thought it was brave of Martin Chaix to attempt new choreography for Giselle- the 19th century ballet is so iconic that one has to have the reputation and experience of Mats Ek or Akram Khan to do a new version. And even Akram Khan's version uses new music so it's more like a different ballet.

 

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées is of course well known in the history books as the location for the premiere of the original production  of The Rite of Spring by Nijinsky, which caused a riotous reaction in the audience. 😊 I'm glad it is still hosting ballet alongside orchestral concerts. I've passed it a few times when on holiday in Paris but there was never ballet being performed when I was there. Thank you for your report!  👍 

[Paco]

Thank you for the report Estreiiita. I missed this program. The Théâtre des Champs Elysées has quite an interesting short season of contemporary dance, worth a visit.

There remains a few good ballet companies in French provincial towns. Toulouse, Biarritz and Nice are among my favorites, but Strasbourg also has sometimes interesting propositions - chiefly when it creates narrative full-length.